Hello
by Dreamseeker1
Summary: One-shot. What would the world look like to Souta if Kagome died? Based on the song "Hello" by Evanescence. And no I don't own either. Please please read and review.


**Disclaimer: I'm poor. I don't own Inuyasha and Co. Nor do I own Evanescence and their record label, which means I don't own this song, which means I shouldn't write this. I'm poor.**

**Note from the authoress:**** Wow…this is my first fic. This story just seemed to strike me as I listened to the song. I thought it was ok, so I posted it as my first ever fanfic. I chose Souta as my main character because…you'll see. Also, one of the main characters here I created, so don't think you missed her in the series somewhere.**

**Thanks all around! Please read and review!**

**Hello by: Dreamseeker1**

Souta shifted his heavy backpack and walked inside the school building. Was this to be another long day, filled with meaningless words and pages? He sighed and opened his locker. Books fell out around him, not his own, but Kagome's. He gently picked them up, dusting them off and putting them away. He put what was left of her homework due that week and piled it into his own folder. He'd have to finish it all during recess, or maybe lunch.

His teacher, Mrs. Tamaro, opened the day as she had always done, with a "Good morning, children." They answered with the customary "Good morning." No one was really awake save the teacher, but she had that all-powerful mug of tea to wake her up. She opened the day's Math lesson, and Souta's mind drifted. _I wonder what my sis is doing right now?_ he thought. He imagined Inuyasha fighting off demons, Kagome gathering pieces of the Shikon Jewel, and the two of them saving the world. He stared out the window all the way through Math and History. When the bell for recess finally rang, his instructor was giving him the look, the look that said that he'd better do better after he came back. He forgot his folder as he raced out of the classroom to join his friends.

_**Playground schoolbell rings, again.**_

_**Rainclouds come to play, again.**_

It came during the middle of their ball game. The rain started to drip, drop, until it became a steady downpour. Souta walked inside from the playground, laughing with his friends. They'd have the rest of the break in the classroom.

As soon as he entered the room, he remembered Kagome's homework. He raced to his desk and pulled the folder out. Her Math was a piece of cake, as was her Science. He was halfway through her History essay when there was tap on his shoulder.

"Souta? Aren't you going to play cards with us?" came the soft call from a little girl.

He smiled and shook his head. "I would, Mai, but Kagome didn't finish her homework last night. I'm doing it for her."

"Is her rheumatism acting up again?" Mai gave him a worried look, her long dark hair framing her gentle face filled with worry.

Souta nodded, still smiling. Of course Mai would ask. It was in her nature to worry about him. He loved how her gray eyes went round when she did. "It's okay. None of it's hard, and Kagome will be better soon."

It was then that his teacher called to him. She put her hands on his shoulders and talked softly. "Souta, dear, you need to go and see the principal." Pity was on every line of her wrinkled old face. "He has some... news for you."

Souta shrugged and walked out of the classroom, wondering. Why would the principal need to see him? What could be so important that they would drag him out of class? He hadn't done anything wrong. His eyes widened in worry for his Grandpa, his Mother. He sprinted the rest of the way, pausing at the door of the office, and taking a deep breath. He turned the knob and entered the room.

It looked like any other office, a desk or two, chairs, and shelves. But the people were different. His principal, an unusually stern man, was standing, waiting for him. Sadness radiated from him. The secretary too, was grim.

"Souta, right?" he spoke quietly. "Young man, I am sorry to inform you of this terrible event." He paused, and took a breath. "It's your elder sister, Kagome. She... passed away, earlier this morning. Your mother shall be here shortly to take you home."

_**Has no one told you she's not breathing?**_

Souta stared at him. What was he talking about? There was nothing wrong with Kagome; she was safe with Inuyasha in the feudal era. He opened his mouth to tell him so, but snapped it shut, remembering that he couldn't tell them about the well. "Kagome's fine." he sputtered. "She's fine."

The principal shook his head. "No, son. There was a terrible accident. I've only just got off the phone with your grandfather..."

Souta didn't hear the rest. His mind was working. _Kagome...terrible accident? But she's not here. She's in the..._His eyes widened in total shock. _Feudal era!_ "No!" He screamed. "No way!" He turned and blasted through the door, cracking its frame.

He ran. Ran out of the school, across the street, through the city streets. Cars honked and swerved. Ran until his ribs hurt, until he couldn't breathe, until he couldn't see through the tears. He stopped when he reached a park and collapsed under a tree, shrinking from the rain.

Kagome couldn't be gone. She couldn't be! Without his big sis picking on him, snapping at him, hugging him and thanking him, there just wasn't a point. Without her to wait for, to talk to...

_**Hello, I am your mind, giving you someone to talk to...Hello**_**.**

He sat there and cried. He didn't think, didn't move, just sat there and bawled. The tears wouldn't stop, once they started. Souta couldn't remember ever crying like this before, ever. "Kagome..." he sobbed. "No..." He put his head in his hands, trying to stem the flow of tears. But try as he might, he could not.

Memories of her came next. Kagome teaching him to ride a bike, Kagome walking him to school, Kagome telling him stories. Kagome yelling at him, Kagome worrying about her homework, Kagome mad at Inuyasha. Happy Kagome, excited Kagome, angry Kagome, sleepy Kagome. Kagome, Kagome, Kagome.

And suddenly it stopped. No tears, no memories, no anything. Kagome wasn't dead. There was no way she could be. Inuyasha would keep her safe. He would go home and go down the well, and prove it. That's all there was to it. He got up and rubbed his head; all of that crying had given him a headache. Looking up, he realized that the rain had stopped.

He walked home, feeling better when he saw his home's landmarks: the well, the great tree, and the temple. He stopped at the shrine and said a little prayer. Souta walked up the steps to his house.

He instantly felt the change. The world outside was cheerful and bright, his home bleak. He walked down the hallway until he heard crying in the living room. It was his mom, he was sure of it. He walked into that room, startled by the scene. His grandpa sat in the corner, looking down. His mother sat by a table, crying with a hankerchief at her face. And there were others.

There was a monk, leaning against the wall with a covered hand over his eyes. A little boy with fluffy hair and a tail, grabbing onto a very pretty girl. They were both crying openly, a strange looking cat by their side, whining. And there was Inuyasha, standing straight, his sword over his shoulder. He was staring at the low table, defeated look on his face.

Souta ran into the room, not understanding. As he reached his mother, the table came into clear view. There, in his own living room, was Kagome, lying with her eyes closed. She was wearing her best clothes, hands in her lap, but she looked like she was asleep. Except she wasn't breathing, and a strange yellow pallor covered her. He screeched her name, trying to wake her up. She didn't twitch. "Kagome!" he yelled again, shaking her shoulders. She didn't wake.

"Souta," said his mother quietly. "It's no use. She's gone."

He turned away and walked out of the room, heading for his own. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

_**If I smile and don't believe,**_

_**Soon I know I'll wake from this dream.**_

His door opened, and his mother came in quietly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She looked like she had aged at least ten years in a single day. "Souta," she said. "Souta, love. I know. I know it hurts." She sat down on his bed and put his head in her lap. "Sweetheart, it was a risk she had to take. Her soul was there in the first place." She seemed to be trying to convince herself, not him.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"It's alright to cry, Souta... I'm right here. I'll try my best to help you." She pulled him into a hug, then let go and left the room. _There's nothing wrong_, he thought. _She's just asleep._

_**Don't try to fix me - I'm not broken,**_

He sat up as his next visitor entered. The hanyou crossed the room and stood in front of his bed. His eyes were ringed with weariness, and yet they weren't red. He hadn't cried. Souta looked up at him, completely calm. For a moment he thought he might break down, but he built a wall around his emotions. Nothing was wrong.

_**Hello, I am the lie, living for you so you can hide...Don't cry.**_

"Not gonna cry, whelp?"

He didn't blink. "Why would I?"

Inuyasha blinked. The brat really didn't think she had died. "I'm sorry, kid. There was nothing I could do." He looked away at the memory. "When Kikyo took back her soul she was gone. We might have saved her then, but Naraku poisoned her body too with a spell. I tried to help her..."

***

_The yellow light spread across the courtyard of Naraku's castle, even as Naraku disappeared._

_"Inuyasha, help -!" She called as the spell hit her._

_"Kagome!" He slashed through Naraku's insects, trying to reach her. Sango and Miroku were fighting for their lives, even Shippou and Kilala were fighting for survival._

_Yellow light filled her body as he reached her. "Inuyasha..." she said weakly. "Mom -Souta, Grandpa...tell them. " Part of her went slack. "Inuyasha...loved you..." Her eyes went blank as a stream of white light drifted away from her. He looked up to where soul collectors gathered it and returned it to their mistress. _

_Kikyo laughed. "It feels wonderful to have myself back, Inuyasha."_

_***_

"We fought after that, and Naraku and Kikyo escaped again-" here he broke off, thinking of Kikyo. "But we had to bring her home." Souta was still staring blankly. Inuyasha sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Just -just go and see her tonight. Alone." He turned around. "I gotta go back to the feudal era. We can still kill Naraku. Goodbye, kid." And with that he left.

Souta didn't move; he held still for hours. When all that could be heard was his mother's quiet crying in her room, he snuck into the living room.

"Kagome, you can wake up now." He said to her. "You're making Mom cry." He crossed the room to where she lay. "C'mon, sis, this isn't funny. Wake up." He shook her by the shoulders. "C'mon, Kagome!" She still didn't wake. He shook her again and again, until he was breathless, sweat dripped down his forehead.

He grew frustrated. "Stop it, Kagome!" He raised his palm and slapped her across the cheek.

It was cold. Her face didn't move. Her eyes didn't open. And she didn't hit him back.

That's when it hit him. She wasn't there.

_**Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping...**_

He couldn't stay home the next day, couldn't stand to be there as they prepared for the funeral. He went the only place he could: school.

No one talked to him. Not his friends, not his teacher. He pulled Kagome's homework out of his desk and hugged it to his body, trying not to cry. When the bell for recess rang, he didn't let go of it, he took it with him. He made it to the swings and had just sat down when a gentle voice called him.

"Souta?"

He didn't look up.

The voice went on. "Souta, you wanna talk? I'm right here, you know. " Mai's face had a sad smile on it as he looked up. She gently sat in the swing next to him and grabbed his hand. He could trust Mai.

_**Hello, I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday...**_

He sighed and took a long look at her. Finally he began to talk. "Have you ever heard of the sacred Shikon Jewel?" She shook her head. He took a deep breath. "Long ago, in feudal Japan, dwelled a priestess named Kikyo. She had an enormous power, and so was chosen to guard the sacred Jewel of Four Souls..."


End file.
